“In social work, right?”
“Yeah, social work and communications. Then I actually lived with Griffin. He needed help after Theo was born.”
“Theo’s mom?” she asked tentatively.
“Not in the picture.”
“And… the recovery program?”
His eyes peeked over the teacup. “Did what it was supposed to…”
Georgia pointed her eyes at him, sipping her own tea.How had he known exactly how she took it?
“I was never… I didn’t have an addiction. I want you to know. Not that others can’t overcome that, but… I’m not saying this right. I… I was there for other reasons. I needed help.”
“You don’t have to tell me, Lake. It isn’t any of my business.”
“No…” he said, “I want to tell you. I just can’t tell you everything yet.” He finished his tea and played with the cup in his hands, studying his fingers. “Ididneed help but not for the reasons my parents and everyone else thought I did. I needed to understand, to fully grasp, God’s grace. I’d spent a lot of time knowing I couldn’t live up to certain… standards… and didn’t bother trying. And, well you know, I went out of my way not to.”
Georgia stayed quiet as a church mouse, afraid if she so much as twitched, he’d spook and stop divulging these pieces of himself she didn’t know, but so desperately craved.
“So, I went toRegen… My parents sent me toRegen,” he amended, “and I really came to know Christ there. I realized I was right, in some ways, anyway. It just took me being thrown into the wilderness across the country to get hit in the face with it. The standards I couldn’t live up to were impossible. And God’s standards for holiness? Unattainable.”
Georgia nodded, tender understanding and an unanticipated affection for the humble man sitting on her couch, nearly knocking her over.
Lake smiled at her. “I needed… Him.”
“Jesus,” she interrupted.
“Jesus,” he echoed softly. “The only way to meet those standards was for God, Himself, to provide the solution. So, I changed. Iwaschanged, and I worked there atRegena while after, hoping I could help some other lost, wayward delinquent see the truth, and be found… be changed, too.”
“Then you came home.”
He smiled, one dimple peeking at her. “Yeah. After a while, I came home. And to mysweetsurprise, to a very fond welcome waiting here for me at Good Start.”
Georgia threw her hands over her face. “Ugh. I’m not proud, Lakeland.” She whimpered, “I’m sorry! I just… You were…”
“I know, Peaches.” He pulled her hands down from her face. “So, any lucky guy back in the city waiting for the beautiful Georgia Snow Remillard to return to him?”
Georgia scoffed and looked down at herself.
“Um. No. And I might be embarrassed by the fact if you hadn’t seen and smelled me at my absolute worst this week, but here we are. So, no… No lucky guy.”
“You’re breathtaking.”
“Ha,” she cackled and fell into another coughing fit. “You’re delusional. Overtired. Probably caught the fever.”
“Probably, but…” He shuffled closer to her on the couch. “No… um… guys? Dates? Men pining after you while I’m the lucky one sitting on your couch.”
“Not that I know of, Lake. Not that I know of.” She turned her face to his. “I dated a couple guys through college, but nothing felt… right. And then, um…” she scrunched her nose, uncomfortable with the admission, “Evan did ask me out for coffee a couple of times when I moved back home. I said yes once.”
Lake nodded slowly, eyes locked on hers. “I know. He… um… He called me first.”
“Oh. He did?”
“Yeah. Why didn’t you say yes again?”
Georgia shrugged, sniffling slightly. “Probably a little Blaire. I really do think she has a thing for him, and… he didn’t have a closeted obsession for Leo DiCaprio, if you can believe it. It’s a cryin’ shame, really. I think we could have been really happy together.”
